Enter the known world of Mahdran, the first map of my MMORPG game world. It's actually a revamp of an older version I did last year. I redid the north, made some edits on the south. I believe this is my true final rendering of the map. I am hopeful folks will understand this is not a traditional map as it highlights each zone in the game world, thus rendering it 'patchy'. I hope I have conveyed a realistic world with a blend of fantasy for adventures from all reaches to explore.

*I just realized I wrote a crap load of lore, if one does read this, I really appreciate it, if not, I understand! At least comment on the map :)

-LORE SYNOPSES-

The Age of Dominance was an infinite time of warfare, discord and affliction. During the apex of this age, Faragon Seserax conquered the four Kingdoms and claimed himself as the Empire King of the Realm. Faragon extinguished seven prominent noble houses during his reign. House Thane met their fate when the Seseraxian armies sieged the acclaimed Rhothane, the impenetrable castle on top of the highest bluff of the Iron Key. In the thick of Faragon’s reign, birthed The Crusades against Faragon’s authority. Twelve Lords, Great and Banner and Knightly had a clandestine operation to overthrow and extinguish the line of Seserax to eradicate his strangle on the realm.

These twelve Lords included House Wyk, Exard, Penagan, Vaulk, Dane, Warrick, Nimberal (Elven), Omber, Fontane, Vostrum, Ironwind and Raynehart. They all trekked hastily and carefully through the wilderness to reach their destination as they had to relinquish their royal garb and flags. Tristane Wyk a righteous man of the Divine believed his purpose was to assemble these Lords. Tristane gathered each Houses sigil and melted it down into one mold of metal and called it the Knightstone. (What the game will be called).

Faithful and confident, Tristane spoke a prayer about their sacrifice to humble themselves and their will to forfeit their wealth and stature to save the realm. A crystallized light pierced the stone from the heavens and an audible voice spoke, “thy will be done” and the Knightstone began to have a transparent crystallized hue around and inside the metal. During the cold winter night in 501 Age of Dominance, the Knights of the Divin’rah was birthed out of faith to the Divine to end Faragon Seserax. The Crusades lasted for 200 years and found victory at the hand of Hemnar of House Wyk.

This is the official map of the known world of Mahdran, after the 700 years of the Age of Dominance. Cartography by High Sage, Jachus Dane. Today, in the Age of Tranquility the Knights of the Divin'rah are the prestigious heroes that guard the realm from ever experience total dominion of evil. While House Seserax gained control of the realm, a shadowy faction called the Shar has been conspiring between the shadows, integrating themselves in every facet of the realm. For they do not fight with blade but with schemes and demonic power. A man of devout mercy and great honor, Seridan Wyk, grandsom of Hemnar Wyk now leads the Knights of the Divin'rah against Vainspire's Cabal, the faction known as the Shar and are ready blot them from history.

-PLAYABLE RACES-

Man - Men have the greatest number in the realm. Men are considered to have royal blood due for being first in creation. Thus, their power of ruling lands. They control most of the castles and cities. In the dawn of time, Man would dwell in the Caelum, a perfect garden where three rivers met until a whisper from the deceiver, Vainspire, told them they can become like the Divine and all they have to do is wander beyond the Caelum. Ever since, Man has been in endless strife because of the inner war they face within themselves. For Man, life isn't black or white, it's grey. - Man can start in the King seat of the north, Kael'Tristin in the Kings Reach or they can start in the shifting sands of the King seat of the south, Taldeum in the Naji Desert.

Elves - Elves are the second greatest in number and also have royal blood as they were second in creation. Elves are born with an arrogance that their beauty reigns over all. Their vanity is what causes the realm to be in debt. Elves build wondrous cities with pristine architecture as they favor marble stone over their barbaric counterparts, the Man. Elves will only dwell on massive land mesa's and rests their cities and castles on the cliffs edge to provoke that they're indeed the champion race of the realm. - Elves can start in the pristine marbled city of Felthine that dwells in the crisp Morning Shade.

Korelon - During the Century of Magic, in the Age of Kings, Arcanum Crystals would sprout from the ground during every Full Moon and would last for a fortnight until the next New Moon. It's believed that these Arcanum Crystals attuned Man and Elves to Magic. Through rigorous study from the Sage Guild, "The Erudites", they have ciphered that Magic is merely the residue left from Creation. The Elves of Felthine would welcome all who were attuned to magic to study at their Lyceum. Adepts would break away into a lost tower in the south of the Morning Shade called the Vission. The door had a magical riddle on it in ancient tongue. No one was able to crack the code, however, studying at the Vission gave the adepts great power. After months of studying there, the pigment of their skin started to change into an arcanic brown. They would brand their skin in magical hues to represent the guild of magic they were practicing. As their magical attunement heightened, they would get addicted to the magical frequency of the ancient tower. Thus, the Korelon race was born out of pure magic. They wear robes and always cowl their faces with a hood. (Think Darth Maul like face paint) - Korelons can start at the Vission, in the south Morning Shade.

Crypt Elves - During the Age of Judges, Necromancy was forbidden in the realm as it lead to a dark and sinister path to forge a relationship with the Deceiver and Dark Lord of the Abyss, Vainspire. Zenovas, an Elf who hailed from Cambethiel had an acute mind for magic and wanted to be revered in all magical guilds. He knew his life would be extinguished if his study of Necromancy was exposed. Zenovas would flee to the Eth'gara Mountains, south of the Rimewood to practice the dark arts. During the end of the Summer month, Zenovas was trekking home, he saw his beloved city hurling smoke into the sky. Cambethiel, a city where the bond between Man and Elves were strong was in ashes and ruin. In shear rage, Zenovas blasted out a spell of Necromancy. As Zenovas knee's hit the ground from fatigue, the Elves of Cambethiel rose to their feet and uttered, "yes master." A fortnight later, Zenovas was captured and brought to the Table of Petitions in front of the Council of Koehaith who sanctioned against Necromancy. Zenovas was hanged for his crime. Crypt Elves were born but left without a feeling of acceptance. Crypt Elves are dressed with charcoal to black ash like skin with their banshee white to silver hair. They were considered outsiders until the Twin Kings of Kael'Tristin accepted them into their Kingdom. - Crypt Elves can start in the King seat of the North, Kael'Tristin.

Jakarium - The Jakarium are an ancient race that is said to dwell outside of the Caelum before the creation of Man and the Elves. Through tales, the Jakarium are celestial like beings that helped the Divine build the foundations of the world. Great architecture were forged from their stone hands. They were suppose to ascend back into the celestial heavens with the Divine but they rebelled after their lustful desires of the flesh. The Divine granted them a harsher curse than the one bestowed on Man and Elves. Every generation of the Jakarium for 6,000 years will forget their celestial secrets and cannot interpret their ancient tongue, thus dwindling their power of the forbidden secrets of the world. Their time is running out and the Jakarium's on their last generation. The Jakarium have stone-like skin with selective hue's representing the different foundations of the world they built. After the 17th generation, the Jakarium who wandered outside of their gates had forgotten their celestial tongue and could not enter their home of the Tectrum Vallis. They found refuge in Taldeum. The Jakarium of Tectrum Vallis have a hint of canary yellow to their stone like skin. It's said that there are Crimson Jakarium to the east, Greyish Blue Jakarium to the North and Dark Green Jakarium to the south. - The Jakarium start in Taldeum with the race of Man.

*Rivers: I understand the Rivers don't make sense for the Cothtrak Gorge, but that was "magically" developed or at least is what the people believe. It's also believed to be the location of where the Caelum was before the Whisper. If you like my rivers, I took the initiative to design them using the Lake tool to give it a more realistic feel.

If you wish to see an older version of this map, I did post it last year, you can view it here: http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=5988&page=1#Item_7

***If you wish to zoom in and see a higher resolution of the world, simply click the image then click the image again after it takes you to a new page.***

Hi Charles, thanks for your comments! Tecturm Vallis was a random idea I had and wasn't planned. I basically made a whole story out of it. This is what maps can do, they can invoke story elements you never thought you had haha. Crypt Elves are my version of "Dark Elves". I thought it was decently creative.

I viewed the whole in its context, as you recommended, and this sounds pretty awesome.

What platform are you developing this on? I notice that some of the races start in the same places - are these alliances in the game? I can see the starting cities in the West, and how you may progress eastward as you level up - unlocking new cities, raids, etc., as you go?

I'm hoping I'm getting this right because - as far as the map's concerned - it'll do the job admirably.

@Dungeon Master Gaz -- Thanks for your comments! Right now the game is just in design phase, hasn't reached development phase. I would like to use the Unity engine. Honestly, the whole MMORPG design is just a creative hobby/side project until it goes into development. You know how in most MMO's there is a starting city for each race? And then it typically gets abandoned or the player population is typically scarce? I didn't want that to happen as much. I also wanted to make it a world that is ruled by noble Man and Elves and they determine land and who lives where ect. That is correct, the idea is to go from west to east. Eastern zones become larger to account for more players. Thanks again, I wish MMO's would have more wilderness and intrigue to their world.

@Shessar -- Nice to see you again as well! I liked your Scar map a lot by the way! Very creative! Thanks, I try to name things as creatively as I can. I'll have to check out JimP's naming convention. Haha, my map graphics don't reflect desired in game art direction. Yeah my maps are pure fantasy. Zone based fantasy haha.

@Pixelkitteh -- Thank you for taking a moment of your day to read my lore! When I share my game ideas and lore, Crypt Elves are the most popular for players. I've had that idea for 15 years or so. What points of interest intrigue you the most to explore?

Hmmm... speaking of starting cities. Everquest had them when I first played it in 2004. But they added a 'plane of knowledge' where all paths, teleport books, went to major areas around the game, a library building for spells and skill books, merchants for a number of things, and a bank.

Then that plane didn't get used much, and now in 2016-17, there are large crowds there, meeting up for dungeon delving, raids, etc.

Its a crossroads of sorts. All character races can meet there and the guards don't attack them.

Hi Jim. I played Everquest as well! Nice to see an EQ vet on the forums! I played the Planes of Power expansion when it first released and PoK was typically full, at least on my server. There were a ton of MGB's and people hanging around Main Bank. Now, PoK and the Guild Halls are the primary centers of where people congregate. Do you remember what server and race/class you played on Everquest? -- 100 Erudite Wizard (Eronakis) Karana/Rathe server.

I still play; half-elves, wood elves, trolls, ogres, a few iksars, and a few high elves and probably a gnome as well. About 150 characters on 5 accounts. I have alt-itis, and it was up to 182 characters... I'm trying to cut back on characters. All of the blue servers.